The 20-kilometer groomed trail system on the east side of Oregon 35 is the club's pet project. The trail system is a great place to cover lots of distance during a cross-country ski workout.

Two years ago, club members upgraded facilities from a warming hut in a trailer to a permanent building. The Ray Garey Cabin has a wood stove for heat, indoor tables for eating the lunch you bring, plus a place to stash your gear while you're skiing. Trails are groomed three times a week for traditional dual-track skiing, plus skating lanes. Dogs and snowshoes are not allowed on groomed trails. Suggested donation for trail use is $5.

Mount Hood's other groomed cross-country ski trails are commercial ventures at Hood River Meadows and Cooper Spur Mountain Resort (both maintained by Mt. Hood Meadows), plus a donation-use system at Trillium Lake south of Government Camp. Timberline Lodge is also working to designate its first cross-country ski and snowshoe trail, in conjunction with its new chairlift.

Mount Hood has several other sno-parks where cross-country skiing is popular, but trails aren't groomed.

Teacup Lake Nordic is on the east side of Oregon 35, one mile north of the turn for Mount Hood Meadows, or 36.5 miles south of Hood River. If the parking lot is full, park on the west side of the highway at the Clark Creek sno-park and walk across the highway as traffic allows.

The Oregon sno-park system is managed by the Oregon Department of Transportation. Money raised is used to plow parking lots where winter recreation takes place. Not all ski areas are part of the program (notable exceptions are Mt. Bachelor, Hoodoo and Diamond Lake), but you'll need one at most Mount Hood locations. Passes cost $20 for the winter, $7 for three days or $3 for one day. Vendors can add a handling fee. Permits are available at DMV office, sporting good stores and ski areas.

A handy spot to get one at Government Camp, en route to your ski location, is upstairs in the Ratskeller building at the new office of Mt. Hood Adventure.